Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 13: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

a ———- POP een onan Come sane, hep 9 0.5 ea ED EE oS eee BLUESRIN: A ROMANCE. | It was now Lord Ingestrie’s turn to reflect. Ste ee mine gve- Game gmeewr Sse rw eer Wild bowed. “Tf your iordship will will see what can be done. ** I want the neeklace back as soon as possible.”’ ** Exactly! Now you must understand, your lordship, please say what you require, I ? I never make any charge for what trouble I may have in | the matter. Never, by any chance! My only object in doing it is to assist persons like yourself, for instance, to | itisimpossible for me to giveareply. 1 will, as I told you in the first place, send out my agents to make inquiries for it. Should they be successful, they will offer the three ‘thousand pounds; but whether the person who holds the get back nronarty which would otherwise be lost tc them for ever.’ * That is very praiseworthy upon your part, Mr. wald.” “ Now, with respect to this necklace. I have no doubt I can get it back for you if you are willing to pay a price for it. I have agents of mine to whom all the thieves in London are known, and it could be ascertained im the course of a very few hours whether it was in the possses- sion of any one of them or not.” ol S2€ ; and supposing you find some one has it, what then ?’ *“The person is at once communicated with, and told that the owner wishes to get back his stolen property. A reply is then sent, naming such and such a sum, which, if given, and no questions asked, the goods will be returned.” Wild paused, but es Lord Ingestrie said nothing, he went on. * You will of course understand, my lord, that neither of the principal parties concerned, come into contact with each other, and having thus explained the matter, what amount does your lordship think of offering to the person who has the necklace, to give it up?” Jonathan’s hand wandered to his hat. Little did Lord Ingestrie imagine that the necklace was bencath it. “What should you think, Mr. Wild?” “Oh! you ought to be the best judge of that, since sou know exactly what value you put upon it, and I en't.”’ ‘* But they will not expect the full value, surely ? ”’ “Something very like it they would, if they knew your lordship set store by it.” ** But they needn’t know that.” ** Certainly not !”’ ** And then, another thing, they would not be able to dispose of it to anyone! It is too well known!”’ ‘‘ In its present state it is; but, dear me, there :.re men in London who will buy any kind of jewels, and :isk no questions.”’ ‘But how do they contrive to dispose of the stclen oods ?” “That, I imagine, is a secret best known to themselves. I should think very likely the jewels were picked out, the settings melted, and then remanufactured, or perhaps sent direct on to the continent.” ** You seem to know all about it, Mr. Wild ?” ‘1 do, your lordship. In my position as head police- officer it is necessary that I should know all about it.” ‘To be sure it is. But come, what is it to be? ” ““That,” said Jonathan, pushing his wig back on to the crown of his head. ‘‘ That, as I said before, it would be best for you to name; but still, :f your lordship wishes mec to make a suggestion— “TI do, Mr. Wild.” ‘That is sufficient. Then I humbly beg to suggest that you offer four thousand guineas for the necklace! ”’ ‘Four thousand guineas! Nonsense. You must be dreaming !” ‘Your lor¢chip forgets that you asked mé to suggest an amount.” 4 “I know ’. wd. Beat I consider that beyond the bounds of al veason.” “Tam sorry that your .ordshir is of such an opinion. It’s quite erroneous, I can assure you—quite erroneons!” Jonathan shook his head in quite a melancholy wag “But, Mx. Wild, consider. You must surely have mace some mistake. That is its tull value.” Jonathan appeared to reflect for a moment. ‘Look here, your lordship, its no advantage to me, I sacredly assure you, to advise you to giveso much. In fact, if your lordship had not pressed me as you did, I should not have named 2 sum at all... However, you are not bound to follow my advice. Offer for its return ‘vhat- j @ver vou think proper, and I will try what can be dor e.” PED i, oy =, ONL SPONEEA SL LOR area EE FOIE LI PCR, A RD SEF Ce 2 ee Ne ei, i ae ee, oe Ga we eT ee ee Le et we eo 2 ee ~ g ““T will tell you what I will do. I will offer three thousand pounds for the restoration of the jewel, which sum, Mr. Wild, Idon’t mind telling you, is one J can ill spare. Can you get it back for that ?” Jonathan Wild put his elbows on the desk, and rested his chin in his hands. ““ Now, my lord, you have asked me a question to which necklace will give it up for that amount is more than I ean tell.” ‘* T comprehend.” ““ I am glad you do.” ““ But I do not like the idea of encouraging robberies in this way, Mr. Wild.” “Of course you don’t. No more would anyone else. But this is it. The person who stole the necklace may be found, captured, convicted, executed; but that is all the satisfaction you would have, my lord. You would never see your diamond necklace again, unless under some form when you would not recognize it.’’ “I suppose such is the case; but surely, Mr. Wild, there is room for amendment in the law, and next session I shall assuredly bring the matter forward, and see if I cannot be the means of having an alteration.” ‘* Do so, my lord—doso. You will obtain the thanks of the whole country at large.” A most infernal hypocrite was Jonathan Wild, for while he uttered this speech, so inimical as it was to his own interests, no one would have dreamed, to look at his face, that he was doing other than enthusiastically enunciating those opinions which he had nearest to his heart. But he did not trust himself to speak further upon the subject. ‘“ However, your lordship, I am too much occupied jnst now, and I dare say you are too to go any further into that subject. Let us see that we clearly understand each other about this diamond necklace !”’ ‘* Very good.” ‘Your lordship offers three thousand pounds if it is given up intact P’ “TT do!” “And give your word to take no ulterior steps in the matter ?” ““ I suppose I must say yes to that too, though it goes sadly against the grain.”’ ‘Then, your lordship,” said Wild, getting down off his stool, and holding open the door, “if you will call here at this time to-morrow, I will give you a report of my success. Good morning, your lordship, good morning ! ” ‘“*Good morning, Mr. Wild!” a CHAPTER VIII. PLACES THE READER IN POSSESSION OF SOME FACTS RELATIVE TO JONATHAN WILD. WITH the greatest of care, Jonathan Wild closed the door of his office after Kis noble visitor. There was a contortion of his visage which might, by a stretch of the imagination, be construed into a rin. . He mounted his stool. He lifted his hat. There, on his desk, scattering faint scintillations of right from its numerous facets, was the diamond neck- ace. Very rich, very chaste, very beautiful—but, above all, very valuable it looked. The contortion on Jonathan’s face expanded. The cackling noise in his throat, which we have before described, began to make itself heard. The great thief-taker was undoubtedly delighted be- yond measure. He picked up the necklace by the clasp at one end of it, oo raised his arm so that it hung down in a straight ine. Jonathan gazed at it with great admiration. Like many, he had a fancy for glittering ornaments, and SNe” = ED Se SE NOOKS CONIC (SO) >